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Lady Bruins win; Rams edge Bruins

OWASSO — Paige Wilson erupted for 17 points in the second half — including 6-of-6 free throw shooting — to help power the Bartlesville High School Lady Bruins to victory Thursday night at Owasso High School, 55-51.

In the varsity boys game, however, the Owasso Rams turned back the Bruins, 65-55, in a game of momentum shifts.

Bartlesville teams will be out of action until Feb. 15, when they finish the regular season with a trip to Ponca City.

Both Bartlesville teams also will play host the weekend of Feb. 21-23 to Class 6A regional playoff tournaments — the first time that’s happened in at least 20 seasons.

Thursday’s varsity girls showdown pitted for the third time this season the Lady Bruins vs. the Lady Rams.

Bartlesville had won the previous two meetings — but the Lady Bruins found the going much tougher Thursday.

Owasso forged a 13-13 tie by the end of the first period, after Taylor Koelsch drained a buzzer-beating trey.

The score also was knotted at halftime, 22-22, again with Koelsch nailing the final bucket of the half.

The Lady Rams opened the third quarter with a 14-8 run and threatened to pull away.

But, Bartlesville surged back, sparked by Wilson’s three-pointer, off an assist from Katie Keleher, to pull within one point, 36-36.

That would be the Lady Bruins’ lone trey of the game.

By the end of the third period, Bartlesville had charged into the lead, 42-38.

The difference down the stretch was Bartlesville’s full-court pressure during the final five minutes.

With the score knotted, 45-45, Bartlesville ended the game on an 11-6 run.

The Lady Bruins improved to 17-2.

In the varsity boys game, Owasso was trying to beat the Bruins (14-5) for the second time this season.

But, the tussle would be of the tooth-and-nail variety until the fourth period.

About midway through the third quarter, Bartlesville inched ahead, 36-34, on Jakob Hartsock’s layup, set up by Jackson Bart’s lob feed from the top.

Owasso ended the period on a 6-0 run — which would be just a preview of more bad news to come for the Bruins.

Owasso’s Jaylen Lowe stole the ball early in the fourth period and took it down for a slam dunk to put the Rams up by six, 42-36.

Within the next few minutes, he stuffed the ball on another breakaway.

Owasso continued to dominate, powering out a 13-point lead, 54-41, with 4:34.

But, Bartlesville then made its run.

With Nick Shoemaker, Antonio Castillo and Hartsock all nailing three-pointers, Bartlesville burrowed back to within three points, 58-55, with 1:43 left.